We write to insist that you step down as Governor of Illinois and under no circumstance make an appointment to fill the vacant Illinois Senate seat.

In light of your arrest yesterday on alleged federal corruption charges related to that Senate seat, any appointment by you would raise serious questions.

It is within the authority of the Illinois legislature to remove your power to make this appointment by providing for a special election. But a decision by you to resign or to step aside under Article V of the Illinois Constitution would be the most expeditious way for a new Senator to be chosen and seated in a manner that would earn the confidence of the people of Illinois and all Americans. We consider it imperative that a new senator be seated as soon as possible so that Illinois is fully represented in the Senate as the important work of the 111th Congress moves forward.

Please understand that should you decide to ignore the request of the Senate Democratic Caucus and make an appointment we would be forced to exercise our Constitutional authority under Article I, Section 5, to determine whether such a person should be seated.

We do not prejudge the outcome of the criminal charges against you or question your constitutional right to contest those charges. But for the good of the Senate and our nation, we implore you to refrain from making an appointment to the Senate.

Dick Durbin, the sole Senator of Illinois at the moment, has also called for him to step down.

"He has to figure out what's best for him and his family and the state of Illinois," Daley said. "He will have to do the right thing."

Daley said it was crucial for the state to move forward during what he has repeatedly described as a worsening recession. The most important state initiative, he said, was approving a major public works package to build roads and schools.

"We've not had an infrastructure bill since George Ryan left," Daley said, referring to Blagojevich's predecessor, who is in prison after being convicted on federal corruption charges.

Five other statewide elected officials said Tuesday that Blagojevich should resign.

Jon Stewart kicked off his show with a Blagojevich bit: "Take Illinois Gov. Rod Bla-go-ji-ja-vich.

"Well, clearly this man has nothing to hide except perhaps what is written on his forehead. My guess is it's something like 'bribe me.'"[...]

"Holy eff-in bleep. Is this guy a governor or Lil Wayne? It took Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald over two years to pin down Scooter Libby for obstruction of justice, a sentence the president immediately commuted. ... It took him six weeks for [expletive] Blagojevich to hand the prosecutor this low-hanging fruit."

Then he played some of Fitzgerald's bleep-peppered news conference featuring the Blagojevich quote about Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat: "It's a bleeping valuable thing. You just don't give it away for nothing."

Stewart: "For God's sake, it's like hunting cows!

"I mean, can you make it any easier? Said the governor, quote, 'I would like to sell this Senate seat to the highest bidder, clearly violating U.S. Code Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 11, Section 208, paragraph A, solicitation of bribery.'

"Now obviously, we'll have complete coverage of Blagojevich tomorrow, including what I can only assume will be the filing of charges alleging beaver-pelt smuggling as well." He was referring to the governor's lustrous head of hair.

As for Letterman: "It's one count of bribery, one count of fraud and one count of Blagojeviching."

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